Apparatus for extracting liquid hydrocarbons from oil shale



APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING LIQUID HYDROCARBONS FROM OIL SHALE Filed NOV. 23, 1926 TTORNEY Patented July 23, 1929.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST scnILLme, or sen FRANCISCO, arcane!) SAOHSE AND nmrrnr L'mmm,

= 1: nos ancnnns ann ranormn cannannr, or sanrmmcrsco, canmonma. ammm non nx-rnacrme LIQUID nvnnocamaons mom on. slum.

Application filed November 23, 1926. Serlal No. 150,204.

The oil shale'ofCalifornia difl'ers physically and chemically from the oil 'shales of other parts of the United States, the beds occur 1n massive formation, are soft, of a 5 brown or brownish-yellow color, and when freshly broken have a strong, petroleum odor.

' An analysis of this shale discloses the same to be a ph sical mixture of three parts, namel :-oii not chemically combined with the su stance of the shale and which can be easily extracted by solvents or by heat; organic matter in which carbonis chemically combined with different materials;- and the inert mineral matter which would remain in the form of ashes from combustion.

- The present invention relates to an apparatus for the extraction by heat of oil from such California shale, and the production of gas during such oil extraction.

. The princi a1 object of the invention is the extraction 0 oil from shale by heat, and the asification, with the aid of steam and air, of t e carbonaceous and volatile substances contained in the shale producing the commonly termed .blue as. f v

A further object is the condensing of the gases of combustion so produced from the shale to separate the water gasfrom the oil, and the'recovering of the oil extracted by 0 the heat of combustion and by the condensing of the products of combustion,

The objects of the present apparatus are to provlde an organized structure, afl'ording means 1n which the shale may be ignited andburned downwardly with the combustion gases passing downwardly therethrough in the presence of, steam for the extraction ofthe 011 therein and the production of oil a d gas containing ases of combustion. 40 A further object of the invention is to provide in connection with the organized apparatus, cooperating units whereb the gas contaming products of combustion resulting from the ignition of. the shale is employed in its condensin affording steam to assist in the combustion o the shal With the above and'other objects in view,

the inventionconsists broadly in the production of water and oil gas and oil from shale bustion process.

In the drawings disclosing the preferred embodiment 'of apparatus for carrying out the present invention- 7 Fig. 1 is a a vertical sectional view of the generator within which the shale is deposited and burned. I

Fig. 2 isa vertical sectional view of one of the, steam generators.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a portion to i of the grate forming the bottom'] generator Within which the shale is burned.

. In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts-1 I indicates the shell of a water gas generator having a refractory linin 2 and an insulating layer 3 lying between t e same. A charging opening 4 is provided inthe upper end of v the generator and through which the shale, in relatively small pieces, is fed in charging the generator; 1A flange -5 surrounds the opemng 4 and disposed annularly thereof in spaced relation thereto is a wall 6 connected at its lower end with the base of the flange by a wall 7, the parts forming an open topped liquid seal chamber 8 for containing'a seal ing fluid, not shown.-

A closure member 9 is ada ted to snugly fit within the opening 4 to prec ude the escape of the combustion gases therefrom, the same so being suspended from the upper wall .10 of a ca which is in turn provided-with an annular ange'for reception within the chamber 8. Any suitable mechanism may be employed for removing and replacing the member 9, s5

that illustrated" cohsisting of a davit '11 carrying sheaves 12 over which operates a Iflexigmle member. 13 er the shell 1 is illustrated asdepending below said opening, it being-received within the attached, to the mem' The base of thegenerator is open at 13 and Q supporting frame members 19. The bottom 15 is raised and lowered to and from the bottom of'the generator by a lever 20 pivoted at 21 and carr ing a. collar 22 loosely surrounding the she t 17, and connected with the lever by links 23. The collar 22 bears against the underside of flange ring 24. held to shaft 17. The bottom 15 is provided with a conical oil collecting'depression 25 and from the same extends a trapped pipe 26 leading to the flanged mouth of a conveying pipe 27. a I

A grate A is provided within the genera- I torfthe same consisting of leaf sections 28 and 29 connected by a shaft 30 extending diametrically across the generator with one end projecting through the generator wall. The shaft 30 is keyed to the hubs of leaf section 28 and affords a pivot about which the hubs 31 of section 29 swing, the latter hubs having aligned bores through which the shaft extends,and the hub ends at opposite sides of the section being fulcrumed in the generator wall afi'ording a fulcrum for the grate. One end of the shaft 30 and the corresponding end of the hub 31 of section 29 are polygonal ly fashioned as at 32 to receive suitable tools employed in raising the leaf sections to a horizontal position after they have been released to drop and dump the contents therefrom.

When raised to a horizontal position, the free ends of sections 28 and 29 rest on releasable spring pressed supports 33 reciprocablein openings in the generator wall.

An annular duct, 34 having wall openings 35 for the admission of thegases of combustion of the ignited shale body, lies within the base of the generator above the grate A with an outlet duct 36 leading therefrom and extending through the generatorwall. r

Air for combustion and steam to assist in the extraction of the oil from the shale and to assist in the formation of the so-called blue gas to pass downwardly through the body of shale, is admitted into the upper part of the generator by the respective coils at and i the former connecting with a supply pipe 5', valve controlled at 6', and the latter con necting with a pipe 7'-which is in turn con- 7 nected to the steam generator 40.

- 20, and after bein A charge of shale deposited within the generator through the openin 4 is ignitedvat its top and burns downwar ly within the generator, the gases of combustion being rawn off through duct 36, and the oil-released from the shale. and not consumed in combustion collecting in the bottom 15, passing therefrom through the trap pipe 26. A ter any given charge of shale has been consumed by combustion, the bottom 15 of the generator is lowered by operation of handle lowered the bottom isswung laterally on itsshaft 17 from beneath the open bottom of the generator. The su ports 33 are then withdrawn enabling t e sections 28 and 29 to drop, dumping the heretofore supported by the grate through the chute 37 Fig. 1. The oil extracted y the heat of combustion delivered to pipe 27 passes therethrough to any suitable ap aratus for further treatment. The pipe 36 or conveying the gases of combustion containing the carbonaceous and volatile matters removed from the shale passes through a heater .40, the outlet of which is connected with a suction means, not illustrated, which means creates a down draft in the generator 1.

The heater 40 through which pipe 36 conducts the gases generated by the combustion of the shale in generator 1, is illustrated in Fig. 2. It consists of a shell 65 closed by end plates 66, the upper beingprovided with a steam outlet'67 and the lower with a water inlet 68. Transverse division walls'69 and 69' separate the interior of'the shell 'i'nto gas chambers 70 and water chambers 71. Through the former is conveyed gases of combustion from the respective generators. Water tubes 72' extend from chamber '31 through chamber 70 and connect with the "steam chamber 73 in the upper end of the shell, and said tubes convey streams of water for absorbing heat from the gases in chamber 70, cooling the gases and converting the water into steam. Water enters the chamber 71 through fitting 7 6 to which water feed or inlet pipe 68 is connected. The passage of water through outlets 7 5 ,is controlled by a normally seated needle valve, not shown, un= seated by the action of a; rod 80 extending through one of the tubes 72and carrying on its upper end a float 81 in steam chamber 73.-

A. thermostat 82 of any well known construction is connected with and operates the valve 6' to admit more or less air through the coil 4', in accordance with the temperature of the gases passing through pipe 36.

The ap aratus illustrated for reducing the shale is o, the type wherein successive batches of material aretreated; it is to be understood, however, that under feed and automatic 'stokingdevicesmay be utilized in connection therewith to render this automatic.

We claim:

An ap aratus for extracting liquid hydrocarbons rom oil shale, comprising a refrac-' generator semitory lined tubular generator provided at its wardly therethrough, means or raising and lowering the latter 'clo'surerelative to the lower opening and for swinging the same laterally from beneath the generator, a grate within thegenerator for supporting the shale shale are withdrawn from 'within the gentherein, means surrounding the generator erator oreatinga down draft therein. 1 upper opening through which oxygen for In'testimony whereof we have signed our combustion is sup lied to the generator above names to this specification.

6 the level of the s ale body, and means sur- AUGUST SCHILLING. rounding the enerator immediately above RICHARD SACHSE. the grate and t rough which the products of Y DIMITRI LIAMIN. com

ustion and gases of generation of the THEOFIEL OALLAERT. 

